Social cause: Retired bureaucrats help set up food testing laboratory in Indore

INDORE: A Centre-funded food testing laboratory is in the offing in Indore at the initiative of retired bureaucrats, who have come together for a social cause under an NGO - Centre for Consumer Protection Research and Awareness (CCPRA).
The state-of-the-art laboratory, which would come up on the campus of Oriental University here, is expected to be functional within six months.
"The laboratory is being set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, and would be empowered with special surveillance powers to carry out testing and inspection of samples of food items across Madhya Pradesh," said a former IAS officer, K S Parmar, who is the organizer of CCPRA. He further said that since the laboratory would be accredited by the government of India, the report prepared by it would be valid in the court of law.
The demand for the laboratory arose from the fact that Indore has become a hub of manufacturing and sale of adulterated food items. During festive seasons, the district administration and the civic body jointly carried out raids seizing large quantities of adulterated food items.
"This would be an added help to the authorities as the laboratory can suo motu collect samples and test them," said Parmar.
Moreover, Madhya Pradesh being dry-port area, the food items meant for export and import can be tested at the proposed laboratory for a fee.
"Though, the laboratory would be solely funded by the ministry of food processing, the maintenance and running cost of it will have to be borne by the private Oriental University," he said.
The CCPRA applied for the laboratory under a Union government scheme for setting up of food testing laboratory.
"We are happy to house the laboratory," said Dr Narendra Virmani, vice-chancellor, Oriental University. He assured all cooperation for setting up the laboratory. The scheme has a provision to allow a state government or any recognized university to set up the laboratory.
"In Madhya Pradesh, there is only one state laboratory for referral and food testing at Bhopal. So there was an urgent need for another one," he said.

MINUTES OF 6TH CAC MEETING OF FSSAI

Health experts have banned it so why can you still buy Gutka on the street?

The country's food regulator has banned it; health experts have been seeking a ban; even the health ministry favours a ban.
Yet, nothing seems to be moving towards the implementation of a ban on gutka
In a new push towards banning gutka, the health ministry has now decided to ask states to implement new rules notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which clearly state that 'tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products'.

Nothing seems to be moving towards the implementation of a ban on gutka

According to a 2004 Supreme Court ruling, gutka is a food product.
Keshav Desiraju, additional secretary in the health ministry, admitted on Tuesday that the FSSAI notification prohibits the use of tobacco in food items.
Yet he shied away from calling it a ban on gutka, saying it was a legal issue. However, he said, action needs to be taken by state governments and it does not need the Centre's directions to implement the rules.
'We are issuing instructions to state governments to implement the FSSAI notification,' Desiraju said. Health activists alleged the Centre is not taking proactive action to ban gutka because of the strong tobacco lobby.
'The Supreme Court in 2004 also said that the power of banning an article of food or an article used as ingredient of food belongs to the central government,' Bhavna Mukhopadhya, director, Voluntary Health Association of India, said.

Patent granted to kit prepared by Haryana Univ for testing urea in milk

The newly established Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, has been granted a patent by the Government of India for commercial production for the “Urea Detection in Milk” technology developed by its Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences for testing Urea in milk.

 The Milk Testing Kit had been available for common public use since last year. According to the technique, a drop of reagent is put on a filter paper and then a drop of milk is also put on the reagent. If milk contains urea, a yellow colour ring develops within 2-3 minutes on the walls of milk-pot. The kit is available at the Farmer Service Centre of the University and at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Karnal.

Patent granted to ‘Urea Detection in Milk’ technique in Haryana - THE HINDU

The Hindu - An official testing the quality of milk in Kochi to check the flow of low quality milk in the market during festive season. A file photo: Vipin Chandran. 

Patent for the technology of ‘Urea Detection in Milk’, developed by a scientist of Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, has been granted by the Patent Office.

P K Kapoor, Head of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar informed that a patent has been granted by Government of India to the technology of ‘Urea Detection in Milk’. 

It has been developed by Dr. Gulshan Narang, Disease Investigation Officer of the department.

In this technique, a drop of reagent is put on filter paper and then a drop of milk is also put on the reagent, if milk contains urea, yellow colour ring develops within one minute around the milk.

This technique is very simple and does not require costly equipments, said Dr. Narang. 

This test can be performed by any lay person and even at the site of collection of milk. This kit is also available at “Kisan Sewa Kendra”, Hisar and “Krishi Vigyan Kendra”, Karnal, he said.

Dr. Narang said that the urea is very hazardous for health, and this technology has more significance during summer and festival season when demand of milk is high and some bad elements produce synthetic milk.

OFFICERS APPOINTED UNDER FOOD SAFETY AND STANDARDS ACT 2006

NAGAPATTINAM The district administration has appointed food safety officers under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, that came into force since August last year. At the State level, food safety and drug administration is being monitored by a food safety commissioner and at the district level by food safety officers.

The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidates all existing food laws and repeals eight statutory food-related laws.

With the coming into force of Food Safety and Standards Act, the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954; The Fruit Products Order, 1955; The Meat Food Products Order, 1973; The Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947; The Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order, 1988; The Solvent Extracted Oil, De oiled Meal, and Edible Flour (Control) Order,1967; The Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992; Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food along with the Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939; stands repealed since August 5,2011.

Food producers, distributers, retailers, vendors, road-side hawkers, caterers, marriage caterers, and water suppliers are henceforth not required to have their activities registered with the local bodies or other concerned entities under any of the aforementioned expired laws.

All registrations of such activities shall be defined by the new Food Protection and Standards Act, and aforementioned activities shall be registered and licences renewed solely under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

According to a department release, applications for licenses and registrations may be obtained from the concerned Food Safety Inspectors, on payment of requisite fee.

According to the release, A. Jeganathan, has been designated district food safety inspector, and the following persons designated as food safety officers for various blocks:

A.T.Anbazhagan(94435 26579) for Thirumarugal; K.Kodandabani (99421 84685) for Vedaranyam; S.Peter Pugazhendhi(94437 02460) for Keezhayur; A.Sathish(97861 47236) for Keezhvelur; M.Anthiony Prabhu(95436 97607) for Thalainayar; A.Maharajan(99765 59438)for Nagapattinam; R.Thavapalan( 99426 93266) for Semmanarkoil; P.Srinivasan(94425 75044) for Sirkazhi; C.Senthikumar(94890 07659) for Kollidam; D.Sekar (94439 85754) for Mayiladuthurai block; R.M.Praveen Raghu(94876 41649) for Kuthalam; V.Muthayan(94434 85271) for Mayiladuthurai Municipality; V.Balaguru(94867 19030) for Vedarnayam Municipality.

Any complaints of irregularities in quality of goods shall be brought to the notice of the food safety officers.